


So... Haha... I Like You

by B_Uthoughtwrong



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Cheating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Reader-Insert, genderless reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27395203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Uthoughtwrong/pseuds/B_Uthoughtwrong
Summary: Jae was that nice guy that owed you big time; you didn't mean to catch feelings for him.
Relationships: Park Jaehyung | Jae/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	So... Haha... I Like You

**Author's Note:**

> sooooooooo [this happened](https://pin.it/6SnIHni) and then I made this edit and now i just have to write gosh i love jae so much. THE EDIT IS MINE AND SORRY ABOUT THE TYPOS I HAVE AMMSKSKSKM

I had exactly 28 polaroid pictures of him.

Twenty eight

20 + 8

I mean to take _five_ pictures of him, and yet things got so out of hand.

I really, _really_ didn't mean to...

And you're probably rolling your eyes, because how in the world could I say this? How in the world was I planning to get out of this alive?

"Your socks are down again," a voice jolts me out of my running locomotive thoughts. My shoulders jolt suddenly at the readmission to reality. I tilt my head up and find Jae, giving me a blank look as a candy stick sticks out of the corner of his mouth. His lips are unnaturally red because of this strongly strawberry scented lolly, and though he does nothing but look at me, I feel my pulse in my chest and my palms begin to sweat.

I turn down to my feet and find my left leg has a loose sock unlatched on my calf, sitting by my ankles. I bend down quickly and pull it up.

He clicks his tongue, "we could go sock shopping today. If you're still too stingy to buy those socks you wanted, I'll buy them for you because I feel physical pain when I see your ugly bacon socks that can't even do one job."

My eyes flick back up to his face. Jae's stupidly adorable face that I shouldn't think is remotely cute, come on!

I part my lips and begin to think of something to say-- something like he was a stupid boy for making his lips sugary and shiny like that.

I suppose I give a disgruntled look because he furrows his brows and makes my heart race faster.

"You good, sweetie?" he says purely out of mastery, and not because he thinks I'm his sweetie.

I pull a sour face and gulp roughly. I look away and ruffle my hair, "shut up, we're going to be late."

This crowded hallways was the perfect place to lose this hiccup.

I slam my locker door and clench my binder on hand. I pull on my backpack string and storm off into the crowd.

Jae doesn't get it, and stands there with an incredulous and confused face. He pulls out the lollipop from his mouth and guesses it's probably the distaste the other has in hardened sugar again. He chucks it into a can and calls, "wait up!"

Jae is too quick, and too damn long-legged, my gosh. He is also a slinky skinny boy and goes through the crowd and gets to me no biggie-- a lil out of breath but no biggie.

He releases a sigh and catches my gaze.

"I threw the lollipop away," he says, as if it solved the theory of time travel and takes my hand.

My beating pulse is in my clammy hand, and this moron takes it into his large one. He does it because it's what he's been doing for me. He thinks absolutely nothing of it, but right now in this moment, it hits hard. It brings calamity to my mind, and I can't decide if I am more giddy that he is holding _my_ hand or hurt because he can do it because it's _nothing._

He looks around, off to his side to dodge people. Jae again thinks nothing of his actions as he tightens his grip and leads me off to our next subject.

This damned subject is the reason for this all. Had he not had a hard time in his homework, had he not slipped out of the passing rate so bad, had physics not been the bane of his existence, then maybe I wouldn't have had to tutor him, maybe he wouldn't have been so desperate to ask the "smartest kid in class" for tutoring lessons, and maybe he wouldn't have even talked to me that day I had the crummiest time of my life.

And sure, I guess maybe had that not happened, I would still be a trainwreck too preoccupied in my jerk ex Kang Younghyun.

Maybe I wouldn't have found someone else to vent to about my stupid, trivial, fickle, cliché sob story.

But ultimately, I guess it's all _his_ fault!

Had that stupid Kang brat not hooked up with my best friend- _ex stupid best friend,_

then--

Jae tugs me close as me go through a thick crowd of people. His grip on my hand is tight and firm, but it isn't strangling, it doesn't hurt. It feels secure. It feels... safe.

I look at our joined hands.

... I don't really wish to be stuck with friends and boyfriends who'd think of doing that.

Jae makes a panicked sound, "gAh! I saw mister Kim walk towards our classroom!"

He and I begin to make it through and down the left hallway. His long legs cut back to keep in pace with me as we jog up to our room. We both release a breath, and Jae finally lets go of me to open the door. My hand feels cold.

I don't know why he has to smile when he opens the door for me. I give him no reaction and immediately tread off to hide from his hot eyes.

I don't particularly know where my feet are taking me, but apparently it's to the wrong side of the room because Jae pulls me back by my backpack, causing me to crash into his chest.

I grunt and feel heat trickle up my neck and ears. He isn't looking at me when I look up at him. Jae airily says, "not there," and straightens me up.

My face burns when he shoves me under his arm. My nose is intoxicated by his stupid candy scent and cologne. My stomach begins to dance like a washing machine.

Because of my preoccupation to my own bodily reactions, if goes unbeknownst to me where exactly Jae is looking, or glaring exactly.

I do notice his jaw clench, but I do not know it's because of the putrid sight he sees.

Younghyun watches a few rows away. Jae and he give each other looks. The latter clenches his jaw and tries to make eye contact another. Jae is too protective and keeps everything under his arm. He makes sure to show full distaste and turns to give what he's protecting a kiss.

A kiss.

I said he kissed my head.

I turn to him and feel like a tomato. Jae smiles at me and leads me to the other corner of the room.

I can't do this.

Mr. Kim does his lesson.

He talks about theorems and angles.

He removes his coat halfway because he was getting into his discussion.

And even though all I could to is watch, or barely look at the professor in front of the class, blabbering on and on about equations, I was unable to actually listen or register any information, because, dammit, Jae was looking at me.

He had his right cheek in his hand, and his elbow on his desk and he was looking at me.

It was not intense.

It was bored.

He kept pointlessly bothering me, as in he found it boring to even annoy me.

But I was cut into a statue because of it.

All I knew was Mr. Kim was opening and closing his mouth, and Jae had his hands extremely near my face as he fiddled with the tips of my hair.

"I'm hungry," he mutters.

"Go eat something then," I reply, too snippy, too fast.

He takes a moment to reply and I make the grave mistake of thinking that I've upset him. He is fine. Jae is simply looking at the hair he was fiddling with as he thought of an answer.

The moment we made eye contact and I felt my stomach drop, I knew.

I couldn't do any of this anymore.

"I kinda want a burger and some fries."

I turn away from him and reply, "then go get some."

He drops my hair and props both of his elbows on the desk, bored, "okay."

I turn to the direction opposite to Jae and feel the sunshine through the window telling me to jump out while I can.

I don't.

The bell rings.

Jae takes my hand again once I have all my things tidied up. He takes my binder from me and begins to lead me out of the door. He makes sure I walk in front of him as we do so.

He wraps his arms around me fron behind and rests his chin in my head, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

_Deal with what?_

_What is he talking about?!_

_Does he mean the hair fiddling?_

_Why would he apologize?_

"My offer to break his teeth still stands, you know."

Wait. He's going to break teeth?

Break who's teeth?

Hold on.

Does he mean Younghyun?

"Who else would I be talking about?" he scoffs out from above me.

"pssh, I didn't know the loser was here."

.... and I'm speaking to myself _aloud_ now.

We make it out of our building and the sun is just spotlighting the tree's leaves just right.

Jae's holding my hand again.

I'm dragging my feet.

Why doesn't he mind that I'm basically being such dead weight to him? I look out and see a girl coo at the sight if him.

Jae catches it and smiles because he hears the part were she says _they_ looks so cute.

Suddenly, he remembers.

"Oh hey," Jae stops and pulls out something from his bag. I look at the hand he held as he then hands me something. "I figured since we used up a lot of your films, you'd need some more."

I take the small paper box from him and stare at it like oblivion.

Jae chuckles, "don't need to thank me for being such a good sugar daddy when I took up most of the pictures you have anyway."

My cheeks burn at the fact he called himself a sugar daddy.

It is in my silence and lack of teasing or mocking banter Jae knits his brows. He straightens up and fixes his own bag, "hey are you okay? You've been uncharacteristically meek today."

I release a breath as I turn to my feet.

Jae is really concerned at this point.

I fake a smile and turn to him, "yeah, no, I'm good. Mr. Kim's new discussion really got me."

"... but he did a recap of last week's discussion."

I am caught off guard. I chuckle nervously. I scratch the back of my head and rack my brain for an excuse. I think of nothing and play it off weakly.

Jae straightens up. He is about to speak but I beat him to it, "actually Jae, there's been something bugging me lately."

He knits his brows and crosses his arms seriously.

My breath hitches.

I gulp, "I think we can finally call it even."

There is a moment of silence

Jae blinks and shakes his head slowly. "Uhm, I'm... I'm not following."

I chuckle nervously, "well," I snap my fingers, "as you showed just a while ago, you're actually understanding the physics lessons by yourself now, and, like, Younghyun doesn't contact me at all anymore-- hell I don't even think of the bastard anymore--" I grumble quickly. I turn from afar back to Jae and feel heavy underneath his gaze.

I give a pinched smile and conclude, "yeah, eh, we don't have to pretend to be girlfriend-boyfriend anymore."

I wait for a response.

A laugh.

A sigh of relief.

Something.

But there is none.

Jae just looks at me, perplexed.

"I'm just thinking," I point to my temple and motion, "I keep playing it in my head that you have to keep putting up with me. And like- and like- you spend money on me that even I don't want to spend on myself, and I don't think it's fair to you."

Jae shifts from where he stands and speaks, "well if that's what you're worried about. Don't. I really don't mind." _Ask me why._

I sigh and chew on my bottom lip.

Jae catches on and knows it is a sign of agitation.

"Well, actually there's more."

Am I really going to be saying this?

I clear my throat and go back and forth the palms of my feet, "I actually just think--"

No. I am not going to do it.

"--that we should just go back to how things were."

Jae is mortified with what it could mean.

I catch on and immediately clarify, "I just mean! That... I haven't hung out with my friends in a while. And, like, Dowoon has been looking for me for a long time now..."

**False**. Dowoon could give a rat's ass about me and would most definitely kill me if he ever finds out I used him as an excuse to get out of a dreaded confrontation about my one-sided, undeserving liking to Jae, which according to him is not one-sided at all, which is extremely preposterous as it is.

Jae feels himself deflate, key words: _my_ friends. Wasn't already there a friendship between him and Dowoon?

"I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I'm glad that you don't need me anymore."

Jae wants to scoff at what he just heard, _who in the world said that?_

"I think it's best for all of us that we get out of each other's hair..." I explain.

I swear I saw a flicker of hurt in his eyes, but it's just my wishful thinking because Jae breaks into a warm chuckle, "well, you are pretty annoying."

"Ha ha," I reply, rubbing my shoulder.

Jae, who felt so good when he woke up, feels like burrowing underground. He pushes the though of it away though, because he sees the genuine smile in front of him. That genuine smile that got him the moment he saw it.

I gave him the most sincere statement I could muster up at this point, "thank you for everything, Jae."

He smiles back, softer, and waves me off, "we're even."

I nod, "even Steven."

He nods.

We stand in an awkward silence.

I realize the box of polaroids he gave me is still in my hand. I turn to it and turn to him.

He beats me to it, "consider it a parting gift."

I look at him and somehow feel hurt, hurt that he's making it as if we don't have physics class together anymore, or literature or home economics.

I pull myself back however and remind myself of the truth.

Dowoon's an idiot and Jae deserves way better that some girl who cried for months about a jerk.

I shake my head and purse my lips, "okay."

There is a breeze cutting in between us, begging us to go our separate ways.

Jae shoves his hands in his pockets and musters up the lamest, "guess I'll eat alone then."

He regrets saying that.

My heart breaks.

He takes a step back, waves off and promptly dissmises me with one last, "bye."


End file.
